


You bring me home

by ithinkiloveyoubetternow



Series: Nurseydex week [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Travel, nurseydexweek, roadtrip (kinda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 12:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11531883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ithinkiloveyoubetternow/pseuds/ithinkiloveyoubetternow
Summary: Dex and Nursey find themselves stranded in Rome.





	You bring me home

**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to my brother for accidentally setting our alarm at 4.45 this morning so the time I set aside for writing went to naps instead!

A fly was lazily making its way down his arm. Dex was tracking its movements with his eyes, lacking the energy to lift his arm and wave it away. His shirt was sticking to his back so much that he was pretty sure it had to be melted into his skin by now. His head thudded against the wall of the youth hostel behind him when he leaned back. With a sigh he heaved his arm in the air to sweep at his brow, feeling like it was made of lead. He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. He squinted against the light of a street lantern to look up at Nursey.

"Okay, so I have good news and bad news." Nursey smiled sheepishly.

"Out with it, Nurse. It's too hot and I'm too tired to play games." Dex said, urging him on with a wave.

"Okay, so I called my mom. Apparently it would have been wiser to book some things beforehand." Before Dex could say I told you so Nursey continued. "I know, I know. You predicted this. Look, it's late and I don't want to start combing through the entirety of Rome to find a place to sleep. So, here's the solution my mom came up with. A friend of hers lives about 5 miles outside of the city. We can call a cab to get there and stay with her."

Dex frowned. "A cab? Nursey, you promised me we wouldn't be making too many crazy expenses on this trip. I can't just throw money at a cab to solve my problems."

Nursey held up his hands, trying to placate Dex. "I know. Look, this is my fault for wanting to seek adventure of whatever and refusing to book a hostel beforehand. I'll pay for the cab fare, and this won't happen again. Promise." He scrunched his eyebrows together and looked pleadingly at Dex.

At that moment, Dex was glad that it was late and the light was low enough that his blush wouldn't be too visible. Damn Nurse and his puppy eyes. "Okay, fine. But you're letting me help you book something for the next city you picked, deal?"

Nursey nodded enthusiastically, his curls flopping in his eyes. "Deal. Okay, let's go see about that cab." He held his hand out to help Dex up.

With his hand held tightly in Nursey's own, the light of the lantern casting everything in a golden light, Dex didn't feel so tired anymore.

 

* * *

 

Once inside the cab, butt sticking to the plastic of the backseat, Dex's mind drifted back to three months ago.

Nursey had been skyping with his mom when the idea had formed in his head. Dex had been doing homework when all of a sudden an upside down Nursey appeared next to him. Damn near gave him a heart attack. "Jesus Nurse, what's up?"

"Nothing's up, it's all down." Nursey replied with a straight face, not seeming to care that he had just uttered the most horrible pun in all of human existence. "Anyway, I'm skyping to my mom."

"I know, you shouldn't leave her hanging like that, it's very rude." Dex never said he was any better than Nursey.

Nursey stuck his tongue out at him. "She just suggested something interesting and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it. What would you think about a trip through Europe this summer? She did it before her senior year and according to her it was, and I quote, 'great fun'."

"No way, Nurse. I'm not going to Europe with you." Dex had said resolutely.

Of course, that had turned out a little differently. It wasn't entirely his own fault, honestly. Dex was only one man against Nursey's array of puppy dog looks. But the most convincing argument for Dex however, had come from an unexpected angle. He didn't know how exactly they found out, but one night he got a call from his parents. His mom had been adamant about him going. She didn't want him missing out on opportunities that they'd had to miss in their youth. His dad had added "Son, I know you're worried about the money. We'll make it work." And that had been it.

And here Dex was now. In Europe. With Nursey. 

 

* * *

 

The ride was over in what seemed like the blink of an eye, because Dex started nodding off about ten minutes in. Nursey nudged him awake with a poke to his ribs with his elbows. Dex blinked awake, wincing at the crink in his neck from falling asleep against Nursey's shoulder. Sitting up was an exercise in unsticking every part of his body that had been glued to the seats with sweat. The feeling was at once entirely unpleasant and weirdly satisfying.

Nursey smirked when he noticed Dex sticking and unsticking his arm to the fake leather. "Having fun there, dork? Come on, we've arrived. Not that I haven't enjoyed playing your pillow, but let's get you into a real bed." Dex blushed and turned away to leave the car before Nursey could comment.

They got there backpacks from the trunk and turned to see a tiny Italian woman walking out of her house. "Derek? Oh, I'm glad you made it! I must say, your mom startled me awake with that call earlier." The crow's feet around her eyes told the tale of a woman who spent a majority of her life laughing, just as heartily as she was now when smiling at them. "Come on, let's get you boys inside." She clutched her robe to her chest with one hand as she waved them inside with the other.

The woman, Isabella, had cooked them some pasta while they'd been driving. Dex could kiss her. They sat down in her cozy kitchen, trying to seem polite but failing as they devoured the food. When they didn't feel like they were starving anymore, they told her about the things they'd seen on their trip so far. Earlier that night, they'd taken the train from Florence to Rome.

"And when we arrived, I thought we'd just be able to get a room at the hostel but apparently they were booked solid for the next week." Nursey's eyes were trained on his plate. Dex couldn't bare the feeling that Nursey thought he was still mad at him. He nudged his foot under the table, making Nursey look at him. He smiled encouragingly at him. Nursey looked up at Isabella. "Really, thank you so much for taking us in at such short notice. I promise we'll find somewhere to stay tomorrow night. After that we're leaving again anyway." 

She waved him off. "Nonsense, your mom knows she's always welcome here. I don't see any reason why I'd keep her own blood out onto the street. You're staying with me." She sounded so resolute that they didn't dare contradict her again. 

Dex pressed his foot harder against Nursey's under the table to make it clear that everything was fine.

 

* * *

 

 

Nothing was fine. Five minutes ago Isabella had let them into the bedroom that used to belong to her daughter. She'd pointed to the bed and said "You can share that one, or one of you has to sleep on the floor. I don't have any air mattresses here right now and my couch is too small I'm afraid."

Nursey had nodded and said "No problem, thank you Isabella. We'll just share. It's chill. Besides, Dex is used to falling asleep on me now." He turned to Dex, winking.

Dex rolled his eyes. "I knew you'd bring that up again. Yeah, yeah we can share. I'm fine with it." Really, he wasn't but he wasn't about to tell that to Isabella, who had been nothing but nice to them. He wasn't going to tell Nursey either for that matter. He'd just have to get through two nights in close proximity to Nursey and his miles and miles of skin. It would be fine. 

Isabella left them to it and they quickly took care of business. Dex didn't know if he was the only one who thought the air between the two of them had grown heavier. It wasn't like he was actively avoiding conversation, but neither of them was making any effort to break the silence either. 

Even though his body was made out of lead; even though moving through the heavy, warm night air felt like moving through molasses; even though he was trying to stretch it out, all too soon he was standing next to the bed. After all, your night routine could only take so long when you slept in your boxers. Nursey was standing next to him, seemingly waiting for him to make a move.

Dex took a deep breath. "Dibs on the left side." He dove into the bed, throwing back the covers so Nursey could join him. After another second, Nursey silently climbed in beside him. Dex turned to look at him. "Night, Nursey." Neither of them shut their eyes.

Nursey's eyes were cast downward, looking at his hands which were fiddling with the blankets. "I'm really sorry Dex, I..."

Dex interrupted him. Sure, he hadn't been happy two hours ago when he was sweaty and tired without a place to sleep for the night. But he was over it now. "It's okay, Nursey. You fixed it, right?" When Nursey still didn't look at him he added "Derek, come on. I'm not mad. Okay, I was two hours ago but it's fine now. I know you have this romantic idea in your idea of following in your mom's footsteps and doing everything like she did all those years ago. I get it. You don't have to feel bad about it."

That finally made Nursey look up. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How do you know that's what I was doing?"

Dex smiled. "Because you literally skype your mom ten inches above my head? I can hear you guys."

"Oh. That makes sense I guess." Derek's forehead straightened out again. "Thanks for listening then. We'll figure it out together, yeah?"

"Exactly." Dex answered firmly. "Now go to sleep Nursey, we have a whole day of sightseeing in front of us tomorrow. I've seen your list, we have a crap-ton of stuff to see! Oh, think of all those beautiful buildings glittering in the glory of olden days and whatnot."

Nursey snorted. "Okay Dexy, good night. Sleep tight and whatnot." He turned on his side away from Dex. 

Dex fell silent. After ten minutes he whispered to Nursey's back. "I'm really glad I'm on this trip with you." 

He startled when Nursey turned around again. He thought he'd been asleep. "Me too, Will." 

Dex didn't know if it was the late hour or the fact that Nursey had said his real name, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from leaning forward and pressing his lips against Nursey's. For two whole seconds he thought he had just screwed up their whole trip. Then, Nursey rubbed his nose gently against his cheek. He pressed his forehead against Dex's for a moment before pressing their lips together again. They stayed like that, kissing softly with hands roaming over bare skin, for a long while. After a while though, they both became so tired that they were more leaning on each other than really kissing anymore. Dex kissed Nursey on the lips one more time before turning him around, so he could put his arms around him.

Dex didn't sleep great that night, plastered to Nursey's back. The bed felt a bit like the devil's sweaty armpit, but he didn't care. He wouldn't let Nursey go.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2! I have vague ideas for each of the prompts, but I can't promise they'll each be as long as yesterday's unfortunately (because I have very poor planning skills and didn't write anything beforehand). 
> 
> I know I gloss over some things that should be explored in detail more, but as I said I didn't have time for that today. Maybe someday I'll write more elaborate about the finer details of the story. In case anyone's wondering where Chowder is, he had actually already started planning a trip to China with his family before D&N started making their plans! He's having the time of his life, don't worry. I know, I miss him too.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this, comments always help me out! :)


End file.
